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How often have you discussed nutrition with your primary care doctor? For many of us, the answer is never. Here, "practical nutrition tips for physicians" from San Francisco Medicine and real-food advocate Marion Nestle.

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How often have you discussed nutrition with your primary care doctor? For many of us,

the answer is never. Intake forms ask about smoking and alcohol, but skip over diet. With poor nutrition fueling diabetes and obesity epidemics, and with research confirming the disease-fighting and health-promoting effects of many foods, good nutrition is simply too important ignore. And it’s a huge lost opportunity for physicians to take a leadership role in encouraging patients to live healthier lives. “

Three cheers, then, for the current issue of San Francisco Medicine, which is devoted to helping busy doctors close the medical-nutrition gap. “Poor nutrition is a risk factor for four of the six leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer,” writes Brian Raymond, MPH, in the report. “Fortunately, it doesn't take long to tell patients that what they eat matters to their health,” writes nutrition professor, advocate, and bestselling author Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH.